For what it's worth, I feel much better about buying from breeders than I would from other sources. It is up to the buyer to do research on both the animal they are acquiring and the breeder it's coming from. Ask questions. Arm yourself with knowledge. Know what questions you need to ask for peace of mind. The degree of organization and financial investment it takes to run a successful mid or large scale snake breeding operation is mind-boggling. Are there bad apples in the bunch? Yes, but this can be said about anything. You are obviously entitled to your opinion, and I also think normals are beautiful, but I think you're GREATLY overstating the dangers of morphs, especially as someone brand new to the hobby. I feel crappy about things too when I get sucked down YouTube rabbit holes.
The OWAL list has been posted. It's a good source of information on known morph issues. There's another great resource out there: the BOI on Fauna Classifieds, where people can post the good AND bad about sellers. I think BOI is a testament to the hobby that most reptile keepers actually DO care about the well-being of the animals and positive experiences and want to hold each other accountable.
Reply With Quote